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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. charge — electricity
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. charge — a price
  5. march — the month
  6. ground — crushed
  7. prune — to trim
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. march — the month
  11. bass — the fish
  12. march — music
  13. bear — the animal
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. prune — to trim
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. charge — in control
  20. bear — the animal
  21. ground — the earth
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. bass — low music
  24. ground — a position

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com